TRAVERSE CITY -- Fire officials cited Addison Wheelock Jr. -- a volunteer firefighter and Grand Traverse County commissioner -- for violating a township fire ordinance, fallout from accusations that Wheelock and his family impeded firefighters as they fought a blaze at his business.
Troubles during an Oct. 23 fire at Wheelock & Sons Welding prompted several Long Lake Township firefighters to accuse Wheelock of policy violations and seek disciplinary action against him.
Capt. Ron Taylor, Grand Traverse Rural Fire Department's chief fire investigator, cited Wheelock's business for multiple violations after the fire and filed a formal complaint against Wheelock, a Long Lake volunteer.
Taylor said Wheelock brought the wrong truck to the fire, didn't wear firefighting protective gear, and allowed family members and employees to go in and out of the building, opening doors and hindering firefighters' efforts. Firefighters also reported they were threatened by Wheelock's father and brother, who pulled a hose out of their hands while on the roof, a move that toppled their ladder.
"I understand that the potential loss of their family business created a myriad of emotions for Addison Wheelock Jr. and his family," Taylor wrote in a letter to Grand Traverse Rural Fire Chief Bill Sedlacek that was obtained by the Record-Eagle under the state Freedom of Information Act. "However, Addison Wheelock Jr.'s actions on Oct. 23, 2009, were deplorable and placed himself, his family, and firefighters in a dangerous position.
"This incident exemplifies years of negligence, tactical incompetence, a lack of training and a general disregard for the laws, standards and standard operating guidelines required to function as a fire department and firefighter," Taylor continued.
No discipline
Wheelock said most of Taylor's letter "is full of unsubstantiated allegations."
Sedlacek declined to discipline Wheelock for his actions during the fire. He also recently decided to give Wheelock up to four months to bring his business into compliance with the fire code by installing approved fire-suppression equipment.
But Sedlacek said he's not taking the allegations lightly and he addressed some issues with Wheelock over his failure to attend training and wear personal protective equipment. But emotions run high when someone is watching their livelihood burn, he said.
"The building was on fire, and it was his building, and that makes a difference," Sedlacek said.
The fire at Wheelock Welding began shortly after noon on a Friday. Taylor's report called it a common practice at the shop for employees to use a piece of wood to prop an oven door open to accommodate oversize items. The wood ignited and the fire spread.
Wheelock reported the fire and drove to Station 10 in Long Lake Township. He returned with a water tanker that has no independent firefighting capability, as opposed to a ladder truck with 400 gallons of water.
Firefighters who arrived at the welding shop had to wait for an engine to arrive from Lake Ann in Benzie County before they could attack the blaze.
Wheelock said he requested a fully manned station be dispatched to the fire, and contends bringing the tanker "was the right thing to do."
But ranking officers who responded to the fire called it a "significant mistake."
Ignored orders
Firefighters said shop employees and family members, including Wheelock without protective gear, ignored orders to stay outside the burning building.
Anthony Wolff, battalion engineer for Green Lake Township, wrote he earlier warned Addison Wheelock Sr. to stay out of the building and told Wheelock Jr. to control his father.
Firefighters then entered and approached the blaze and the elder Wheelock opened a side door that allowed fresh, cool air on the fire, Wolff wrote.
Wheelock Sr. and son Randy Wheelock then followed firefighters onto the roof where they confronted them and threatened to sue if firefighters cut through part of the roof.
"At that point R. Wheelock pulled the hose line from my hand which in turn pulled tight against our ladder, knocking it to the ground," Wolff wrote in his report.
The Wheelocks retreated when fire commanders radioed for a sheriff's deputy to remove them.
"It's a dangerous situation, a volatile situation, but my firefighters were not trapped on the roof," Sedlacek said.
Sedlacek said he told Wheelock he needs to begin wearing proper gear on calls and attend fire training.
"Training will either make it or break it," Sedlacek said. "He will be either allowed to turn out for fires or just be allowed to turn out on the medical side."
Taylor said he's never seen Wheelock Jr. attend training sessions he's conducted over 14 years.
"If you've been on the department for 30 years and never go to any training, you begin to get rusty with your tactics," Taylor said. "Tactically, when you make a wrong decision, people get injured or killed."
Wheelock said he will take an upcoming annual proficiency exam with everyone else at his station.
He's also agreed to hire a professional service to install a fire suppression system to bring his business up to code, following a notice that the township would ask its attorney to prosecute him for the violations.
"We served him with a violation notice and he decided we were serious," Sedlacek said.
